CU-Boulder Says Graywater System Could Save 800,000 Gallons a Year

Better late than never. It's good to see graywater systems gaining some traction on the Front Range in Colorado. We experience low humidity levels, and even though the mountains supply us with fresh water from the snowpack, the last decade or so the Front Range has seen more frequent bouts with drought. We cannot take water for granted here. But strict water laws disallow individuals from preventing the water they use from "going downstream". But it looks like the folks at the University of Colorado at Boulder might have a method to reuse water that is within water rights law.

One of the dormitories on campus is going to do a five-year pilot to collect graywater from showers and sinks, filter it, and then reuse the water in toilets. After the water is flushed it goes back into the system, treated, and then sent on it's way downstream. The folks downstream get the water they are owed just a little bit later. The university will study the dorm's graywater system and then report the findings. This will let us know if a system like this is viable within current water laws. Imagine this type of system in every residential and commercial building in the United States. Think of how much fresh water we could save?